Game of skill



Jan. 30, 1934. c. L. PHILLIPS ET AL GAME OF SKILL Filed June 25. 1931INI/EN ToRs ,PH/M095 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENFFICE GAME OF SKILL Application June 25, 1931. Serial No. 546,725

5 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to new and useful improvementsin games and more specifically to a novel game requiring a certainamount of skill in the manipulation of a spheri- 5 cal element around ahelical path or guiding means which is provided with openings or pocketsof diierent numerical value.

The embodiment herein disclosed and claimed constitutes an improvementover that shown in 10 our Patent No. 1,798,900 of March 31st, 1931.

An object of this invention is to provide a game similar to the onedescribed in the above mentioned patent in which the helical guidingmeans is now so formed as to permit at least two players to utilize thesame board or table and also the same helical guiding means withoutinterfering with the play of one another.

A further object is to provide a game of the type mentioned in which ahelicoid, is so arranged l290 that two players may simultaneously playin competition on the same table so that each may endeavor to maintainthe higher score as the play proceeds.

With the present arrangement and construc- 25 tion as shown in thedrawing, one or two players may engage in a game either individually orin competition, but it is obvious that with only slight modication thegame may be so arranged as to provide for three or four players.

Various other objects and advantages will be in part obvious from aninspection of the accompanying drawing and a careful consideration ofthe following particular description and claims of one form of mechanismembodying our invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1 taken approximately atthe center.

With reference to the drawing l0 designates a substantially horizontaltable slightly higher at the center 11 so as to provide an inclinedpanel 12 the upper `surface of which slopes towards both ends of thetable, or, the inclined Vsurface may if Y4.6 preferred extend from thecenter 11 and terminate at 13 from which point the panel may extendperfectly level towards the ends as shown by the dotted lines 14 (Fig.2).

Upon the upper face of the panel l2 there is "i mounted a helicoid orspiral having upstanding walls15 forming the convolutions of the spiraland it will be seen that although the walls in this preferred embodimentare continuous and uninterrupted, a double helicoid is formed hav- 355ing alternating convolutions of which the two portions thereof remainseparate and vdistinct from one another as far as the operation of thedevice is concerned. The walls l5 as shown, provide the circularchannels or paths 17, 18 of which the path 17 extends in a straight lineformed 89 by the side walls 19 and 20, towards one end of the tablewhile the path 18 extends in the other direction as provided by the sidewalls 21 and 22 towards the opposed end of the table.

Numbered openings 30 and 3l are formed in 65 the upper panel 12preferably closely adjacent the outer walls of the spirals which wouldplace them at the lower part of the sloping upper panel so that shouldthe ball 16 come to rest at that point of the spiral it will readilydrop through '7. the adjacent opening, from which point it will beconducted by means of the channels 32 and 33 respectively to the pockets34 and 35.

The operation of the device is as follows.

Assuming that two persons are about to engage in a competitive game,balls 16 are positioned at 50 and 51 and simultaneously set into motionby a means such as a cue which will tend to propel the balls guided bythe walls 15 towards the inner terminations of the respective spirals atsuch 80 speeds as may be induced or eifected by the respective players,dependent upon their skill, in an endeavor to maintain the higherrunning score as the game proceeds. The balls will by virtue of theirinertia pass over any of the openings 30 "85 and 31 if moving at anyappreciable speed, but there will be a tendency for the ball to rollback and forth across an opening at slowly diminishing speed if the ballhas not suiiicient momentum to carry it over the high portion at thecenter 11 9'0 of the sloping panel l2 while making the turns. When theball has almost come to rest it will drop through whatever opening ithappens to be at and fall into a channel or suitable guiding means 32and 33 by which it will be conducted to the 95 respective pockets 34 and35.

It will be readily seen and understood that the arrangement justdescribed provides a spiral within a spiral thus forming, so to speak, awhirlpool which comprises the rolling elements whose direction iseffected by the helically arranged walls 15.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention andportions of the improvements may be used without the others, whilst notdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Y

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a panel, aspiral guide having upstandj ing Walls mounted on said panel; said panelpro- 1.10

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vided with a row of exit openings adjacent said walls, said spiral guidehaving at least two entrance openings and so formed as to provide anindividual helical passage connection with each entrance opening; saidpanel sloping downwardly in opposite directions from a transverse linethru the center of the spiral, said row of exit openings beingperpendicular to said line and passing thru the center of the spiral.

2. In apparatus of the class described in cornbination, a panel, aspiral guide having walls mounted on said panel, said walls being soarranged as to provide at least two adjacent spiral passages, and arelativelyT straight runway one for each passage which runway-s extendin opposite directions.

3. In a game of skill, in combination, a panel, upstanding walls mountedupon said panel providing a spiral passageway terminating at one endinto a straight runway, and a further spiral pas- -sageway formed by thesame walls and also terminating at one end into a straight runway which`extends in a direction opposite to that of the rst said runway, both ofsaid passages being provided with individual exit openings.

4. A game of skill comprising a flat spiral passageway having exitopenings in radial alignment and terminating at one end into arelatively straight runway, and a further spiral passageway alternatingwith the rst said passageway and also terminating at one end into arelatively straight runway which extends in a direction opposite to thatof the first said runway.

5. A game of skill comprising in combination a table-board having asubstantially horizontal upper surface, a double spiral guide one withinthe other mounted on said surface intermediate the ends of thetable-board, a relatively straight runway connecting with each guide andextending in opposite directions, and an upper surface within saidspiral guides disposed at an inclination to the horizontal surface ofthe table-board; each guide being provided with individual exitopenings. 4

CHARLES L. PHILLIPS. INGLIS M. UPPERCU.

